Chicanery

For the season 2 finale of Chicanery, I dive into a question that has plagued each generation as it has aged: is music really worse now than it used to be?  In Chicago, you have to brave the elements in style. And also headphones double as earmuffs. It's the warmest way to listen to music! I take on the question of music going downhill specifically because Justin Bieber has both the #1 and #2 songs in America right now with "Love Yourself" and "Sorry."  Also, I'm proud to say that when searching for the latter of these two, I discovered that previously I've done a YouTube search for "Sorry 2004" by Ruben Studdard. So there's that.Anyhow, I take this week (or the closest I can get to February 8th) decade by decade, so 2016, 2006, 1996, 1986, 1976, and 1966, and look at the top 5 songs in America those weeks. Is it really much better in 1966 and gets progressively worse? Well, it depends on your perspective.Join me for some musical time travel this week! Thank you so much if you have ever listened to this little podcast I do! I hope that season 3 of Chicanery will premiere this summer, so don't be a stranger.ALSO I plan on continuing to release bonus audio from past episodes on my Patreon page! Go and donate $5/episode and get access to it! 

Ryan and I posing with glee in my bedroom/recording studio! On this week's Chicanery, writer and blogger Ryan Daily joins me for a fascinating and often hilarious discussion of our lives, pop culture, and most importantly, Ryan's blog Just Add Trans which documents her coming out process as a transgender woman.The show begins with Ryan sharing her combined classy and trashy events centered around a new job and an odd moment of "this shouldn't bother you because you're trans," and then I share my classy and trashy moments for the week, which include in depth discussions on both Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Zayn Malik's bizarre new music video "Pillowtalk." From there, Ryan and I talk about both her personal coming out process as well as specific entries written on Just Add Trans. From how Caitlyn Jenner's transition is actually damaging to the larger trans community to the idea of trans souls being trapped in the wrong body being offbase, Ryan's insights and humor are not to be missed!Also, don't miss out on bonus audio content from this interview as well as last week's interview with Monisa Ahmed! Become a $5+ patron of the show on Patreon and get exclusive access to bonus audio content! Also subscribe on iTunes and, please, share the show with a friend!

Monisa and I posing in a tiny room where someone, during the episode, found us.  I mean, Lisa Frank should be designing really badass hijabs, right? We didn't quite figure that out during the podcast, but I think it's the only logical conclusion one could have after listening to Monisa Ahmed and I talk on this week's Chicanery.Monisa and I start with a round of Classy and Trashy, which has been absent for a while! Monisa keeps is Anime focused, being especially fond of the beautiful Over the Garden Wall. I bring in a new-to-me podcast called How To Be A Girl. Our trashy begins with anime and ends with sexism... we really cover the gamut! After that, I ask Monisa several questions about her personal experience with her Muslim faith. From her own experiences with Islamophobia, to her laughing at Donald Trump, to what it was like to be a young Muslim child on 9/11, this interview was absolutely insightful, enlightening, entertaining, and hilarious. I hope you'll share! Subscribe on iTunes! And Patreon! BAI!

This week on Chicanery, I'm experimenting with audio essays. I've never done this before, and all I want to do is edit and edit and revise and revise. This is why my essays that I don't read on the internet feel perpetually unfinished. Here I am brazenly sharing an essay that I'd probably never share otherwise. It's personal, yes, but I'm a perfectionist.  My mom, me, my oldest nephew, and my dad at a Royals game a few years ago. Photo courtesy of, you guessed it, my dear old dad. The topic of this week's show was initially inspired by the comments I read online about Mizzou's football team threatening a boycott of a football game because the school's president wouldn't resign in response to protests. There seemed to be insufficient empathy. Moreover, however, people claimed that this ended their following of Mizzou sports. They disagreed with them.Is that sufficient reason to stop watching? What might make you stop being a fan of the things you love? Why do you watch these things in the first place? I make the case for why sports transcend politics for me in this week's episode. I hope you enjoy!

And now for something completely different. After work, this is where I parked my car. Not a bad view! For this week's show, I'm doing something I've never done before. Inspired a bit by the storytelling style of This American Life, I wanted to take the listeners of Chicanery with me to work. While working, I wanted to talk and narrate the experience of being in my 30s with multiple advanced degrees doing a job a teenager could do. It's a different kind of episode for me, and I'd really love to hear from you about how you enjoyed it. Would you like more episodes like this? Comment here, or on Facebook or Twitter. Don't forget to subscribe on iTunes and review there as well!And, in case you were concerned things were getting too serious, here's some bathroom graffiti I found at a Whole Foods. Praise His holy name.

Rima and I after the recording session but before Rima found out she got a parking ticket. SORRY GURL!!! How much fun did I have recording this episode of Chicanery with the brilliant, talented, and beautiful Rima Mandwee? A LOT.When I decided I wanted to do a music year in review episode of Chicanery, I knew Rima would be a great guest. When I found out she'd be in town for a few days, I didn't miss the chance to record with her! Honestly, the entire episode could have been about Adele. We go into HUGE DEPTH about Adele and her amazing album 25. We also dig a bit into Gwen Stefani, Miley Cyrus, and Missy Elliott. As the week goes on, you can hear EVEN MORE of our discussion of music (and bonus material about the political season) by becoming a $5 or more patron of Chicanery over on my Patreon page. Click here to donate and become the greatest person you can be! Seriously, I had to cut SO MUCH OUT just to have this get even CLOSE to a reasonable episode time. You will love the bonus content! Subscribe on iTunes! Become a Patron and get bonus content! Follow me on Facebook and Twitter! <3 

LOOK IT IS PROOF THAT WE SKYPED. I'm, like, pretty down with technology.  For this week's Chicanery, you all are in for a real treat. And that treat is my DELIGHTFUL AND AWESOME AS HELL SISTER. My sister, Heidi, joined me on the show this week to talk about Christmas music and answer some "sibling tag" questions. In the sibling tag, you'll get to hear about a few funny stories from our childhood, like the time my great-grandmother gave me a birthday card addressed, potentially, to a mysterious stranger and our many vacation adventures. The episode gives you a little taste of the questions, and you can hear THE ENTIRE THING by becoming a $5/episode patron on the Chicanery Patreon page! Click here to get more information and to become a patron! I highly recommend it because the rest of our conversation was as hilarious as anything that has ever happened in the history of time.  Included in the bonus audio is Heidi's story about how she broke the Mario Brothers tray you see in the picture below! Here we are playing Donkey Kong as children. You'll note my classy as hell pajama situation and Heidi's perm. After the sibling tag, Heidi and I discuss our favorite Christmas songs and movies because 'tis the damn season. Why do we love "O Holy Night" so much? Why is White Christmas so good? How much do we hate the song "Christmas Shoes?" Tune in and find ouuuuut!Subscribe on iTunes! Become a Patron and get bonus content! Follow/Like Chicanery on Facebook and Twitter!

Hate them basics. Let's be better than basic! Guess who's back, y'all?It's me, and it's officially time for Chicanery season 2! For today's episode, it's just me. I wanted to talk a little bit about where Chicanery has been and where it's going. Quick answer: great places for both answers.However, among the reasons I was gone for a few months and ended season 1 so abruptly was a serious bout with depression. Inspired partly by Sarah Silverman's open honesty about her own battles with depression, I decided to share my own feelings and experiences with depression. Depression hit me like a ton of bricks and I was left grasping for what to do with my life. Listen in to today's episode for honest, frank discussion about my personal battle with depression. Also, season 2 of Chicanery is coinciding with the launch of my campaign for Chicanery on Patreon! You can donate as little as $1 per episode and support the work of this podcast. It would mean a lot to me to have you consider a donation. Click here to visit the Patreon page to learn ALL about it!

Classy Trash with Megan Deppen- Episode 7

Graceful, elegant, timeless. These are three words someone might use to describe the picture Megan and I are re-enacting.  This week on Chicanery, Megan Deppen and I get into the sticky mess that is presidential election politics. I recommend wearing gloves.This episode was so jam packed with content, that I have to divide it up into TWO episodes. Can you even believe it?! Can you even?Well, believe it.Megan and I chat a lot about Donald Trump this week because, as of now, he's the frontrunner in the GOP field for the White House. Do either Megan or I think he'll actually win? Well, you'll have to tune in to find out.We also talk about Jeb Bush's comments on Planned Parenthood (and Hillary Clinton's response), Bernie Sanders' alleged demographic, and, more important than anything, Megan opens the episode with one of the better stories about almost pooping your pants that you will ever hear. Seriously. The episode is worth listening to for that story alone. Don't forget to check out the extended cut on SoundCloud to hear our thoughts on #JonVoyage and the end of an era on The Daily Show.And, finally, if you haven't followed/liked us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and SoundCloud (links to all are below on the pretty blue buttons), what on earth are you even doing with your life? Share this episode on your social media, and tune in next week to hear Megan and I's Classy and Trashy segment! 

My gut looks like a sad house with two blackened out windows for eyes and a droopy front porch. WELCOME TO ANOTHER EPISODE OF CHICANERY! Kevin Kauffman is my friend and will be yours now too. This week on Chicanery, Kevin Kauffman and I like sports, and we don't care who knows. Football football football tennis hockey golf.We start with a sports themed story in Classy and Trashy this week as Kevin and I discuss the fantastic success of Becky Hammon in the NBA (and, subsequently, Jen Welter in the NFL). From there I bring up my classy this week in the form of comedian and actress Lauren Lapkus' phenomenal podcast With Special Guest Lauren Lapkus. Kevin's trashy for this week centers around this piece of human garbage, while Brandon's centers around this piece of humanity some might call Madonna. This week's interview centers around the fact that, as of publishing this blog post, the Kansas City Royals, my team, are 8 games ahead of the 2nd place team in the American League Central and have the best record in the American League by 3 games. I've grown up my whole life loving Kansas City/Mizzou sports, and they've never really been good. I'm not quite sure how to handle it, so I brought Kevin in to help. Kevin is from another traditionally downtrodden sports town in Buffalo, New York, so I thought we could figure out together how to be a good fan and what kinds of fans we hate. Much in the way life works, this is subjective, but I do spend a good chunk of time being disdainful of St. Louis Cardinal fans. Sorry, guys.And plz plz plz check out our SoundCloud page so you can hear Kevin talk about more sports things but most importantly talk about the theme song to Chicanery which he wrote and performed! Subscribe, listen, rate, and comment on iTunes. Follow Chicanery on all the social medias. There are blue buttons here that take you there. You can do it. Click a couple times. No one needs to know how many times you've clicked. EXCEPT FOR ME AND MY CRIPPLING NEED FOR SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE! <3

Ooh! Angles! Art! Podcasting! Technology! Artpop! Lady Gaga! YAASSS! OH WOW! It's another great episode of Chicanery! This week I had the pleasure of interviewing the brilliant and talented Carolyn Rudinsky about working in nonprofits. Carolyn and I met at DePaul when she taught me how to ride a horse using a chair instead of a horse in McGaw Hall, so you can bet she's a damn fine guest on any show. This week's classy and trashy discussion started with Carolyn chatting about Sir Patrick Stewart and Sir Ian McKellen reciting Taylor Swift lyrics for NPR and Yahoo! It really made me look at T-Swift in a new, British light! We also dive in a bit to her feud with Nicki Minaj over the Twitters. From there I shared my classy involving a decidedly unclassy story: Lorenzo Davis being fired from Chicago's Independent Police Review Authority for an alleged bias against police while investigating the necessity of police shootings in Chicago. The class here, though, is the potential discussion it could spark. From there, Carolyn shared her (somehow still classy) trashy for the week: this a-hole winning a French Scrabble tournament without knowing French. Finally we had my trashy: Donald Trump. There are literally dozens of stories I could link to here. Just take a listen and find new ways to think Donald Trump is trash!From there Jeffrey has an excellent segment of Brevity & Levity this week which highlights our weekend trip to the Chicago Botanic Garden. Yes, we're that cute. We learned some great new ways to use herbs like basil and mint! Check it ouuuut!Then Carolyn and I dove into the world of nonprofit work. From what it takes to work in the industry to what pros and cons come from it, we dig into a wide variety of topics that we hope inspire you to see about nonprofit work or volunteerism yourself!I also ask a very special favor of each of you this week. Please share Chicanery with at least one person this week! This episode or another you enjoyed more- no matter! As long as you share! If we each tell a friend to listen to the show, well, we might be getting somewhere here! LOVE YOU IN ADVANCE FOR THIS. Subscribe, listen, rate, and comment on iTunes as always! Also don't forget to check out the extended cut of this episode up on our SoundCloud page. There's an extended interview AND an extended Brevity & Levity up this week! Don't miss it! Also don't forget to follow Chicanery on all of our social media outlets. There are cute little buttons at the bottom of this page. They're blue kind of like Chicago's flag. Cute, right? Yes. 

VIckey and I sharing a good ol' laugh while we record. Aren't we hilarious and engaging? Please listen and subscribe.  It's another brilliant and wonderful episode of Chicanery! This week I had the pleasure of interviewing one of my mentors and best friends, Vickey Meyer. Vickey and I have known each other for almost over 15 years, and I trust her as one of the best advisors and teachers I've ever met. Before we dove too far into education, we talked about a performance of Shakespeare's King Lear at the Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, a fascinating interview with a an eccentric writer some of you know as Joyce Carol Oates, the joy of romance novel grammar, and a cooking show starring KELLY GODDAMN KAPOWSKI. What a treat! Then we get this week's Brevity and Levity with Jeffrey where he shares with us a delightful piece of flash fiction he wrote, a version of which once appeared in The Dreaded Biscuits. And who doesn't love some damn good writing?From there, Vickey and I dig into the world of education. From standardized testing to teacher training, we cover a little of everything. Finally, Vickey talks about what it takes to be great, and how like the ministry, great teaching is a calling, but average teachers can still be made to be good. It's an interview I think anyone invested in the world of education needs to hear. Be sure to listen on iTunes, and while you're over there, subscribe, rate, and comment! An extended cut of this episode (which I highly recommend checking out for additional hilarity) is up on the SoundCloud page as well. Subscribe to us there too. Literally interact with us in every conceivable way. Share this episode too, gang. Really, your word of mouth advertisement is what will help this podcast grow. And you sure as hell don't want to be accused of podcast neglect, right? I thought so.

Josh Fisher hangs out in my apartment while I shamelessly pander to the Chicago Diner for sponsorship. You know I love those vegan milkshakes, gurl! <3 Hooooooboy have we got a fantastic episode of Chicanery for you this week? I interviewed actual badass Josh Fisher about his experiences in digital media, and his answers were both insightful and entertaining. But, of course, before that we talked about The Room and Jared Fogle. We also chatted in depth about the upcoming documentary Do I Sound Gay?, a fascinating new film where journalist David Thorpe explores the "gay voice" and the fear a man feels when he thinks he has it. This film will be opening in Chicago on July 24th. Check this website for other screenings.Josh had some excellent insights about working in digital media through his experiences developing publishing apps such as The Poet's Almanac and Infused, the former of which was recently featured in O magazine. Whether you're a content developer, writer, or completely outside the industry, Josh's thoughts on where the world of digital media is headed will surely prove thought provoking!Also this week is the debut of Brevity and Levity with Jeffrey! This week Jeffrey dives into badass mothers who go the extra mile for their kiddos, including a rabbit going buckwild on a snake and some unique uses of koala poop. Today's episode features just a portion of Josh and I's conversation. There was just too much to pack into one episode! An extended cut featuring in depth chat about our first girlfriends (hilarious, I know), the trappings of affluence, and even more on the future of the publishing industry is up on our SoundCloud page! Listen there, listen on iTunes, subscribe, rate, and share on iTunes as well! BAIIIII!

Who's ready to feel INFORMED AS HELL? Welcome to the preview episode of Chicanery! This week's mini-episode features me giving some expectations for the podcast, such as what segments you'll hear and who my dream guests are. One such weekly segment, Classy and Trashy, debuts today and you can hear all about my annoyance at Ted Cruz's existence and fascination and joy at Khia's newest single. AND THERE'S A TECHNICAL GLITCH BRIEFLY, OKAY? Welcome to the internet, everyone!